No more crying shame: In defence of the tearjerker

If you don't hesitate to laugh out loud at funny films, but quietly fight back tears when a film makes you sad, have you ever stopped to wonder why?

Jian speaks with Slate music critic Carl Wilson about his recent Slate article, Crying Shame, and our culturally dismissive attitude when it comes to "tearjerker" films.

Wilson explains that expressing your sensitive side was not always looked down upon. "There was a time when none of that really was that shameful," he says.

But today's cultural ethos favours emotional suppression. "Definitely for decades, the idea of wearing your emotions on your sleeve really was very, very out of fashion."

He also argues that we can become more self-aware when we allow ourselves to tear up. "I feel like one the values of art that makes you cry, is that it gets you in touch with things that you may or may not know that you're feeling."

Are you the type to hold back tears? Should we work on giving people (especially men) the social permission to cry?